West Virginia Public Broadcasting - During his first week in office, Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered a picture of the state’s fiscal health in stark contrast to his predecessor’s projections of strength for the state. Read the full article. “The state will have a projected deficit of approximately $400 million and that number is projected to rise more…
Income and Work
West Virginia Public Broadcasting – In 2023, an estimated 20,000 West Virginia children under age six were unable to receive child care due to capacity issues, according to an August 2024 report from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Read the full article. Will Miller, interim state director for the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC),…
Mountain State Spotlight, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Charleston Gazette-Mail - Newly-elected Gov. Patrick Morrisey has launched his “Backyard Brawl” initiative through executive order. He’s promised to improve West Virginia’s economic rankings by outpacing neighboring states. Read the full article. Through his initiative, Morrisey has vowed to continue cutting the state’s personal income tax. He’s also said his…
West Virginia News - The annual Kids Count Data Book was recently published, highlighting where each state ranks in terms of child well-being. Read the full article. As a whole, West Virginia placed 44th in the nation after looking at data in categories including education, health, economy and family and community. The study helps officials…
Overview Read the full fact sheet. Federal policymakers are reportedly considering enacting work reporting requirements for Medicaid in the new Congress. Similar state-level policy led to disastrous consequences in Arkansas in 2018-19 until a federal judge blocked the program. Enacting an Arkansas-style work reporting requirement at the federal level would result in West Virginia’s health…
West Virginia Watch, Huntington Herald-Dispatch, Times West Virginian, West Virginia Daily News - A bill that would expand the work requirements for West Virginians receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will get another chance at becoming law during the upcoming legislative session, its sponsor said. Read the full article. Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh,…
NewsBreak - Women’s contributions to West Virginia’s economy have long been underappreciated. Over the past two decades, women’s labor force participation in the state has declined, but the amount of unpaid labor they perform has increased, particularly in caregiving roles. This shift highlights systemic challenges that hinder economic security for women and, by extension, their…
Beginning July 1, 2024, many displaced workers in West Virginia became subject to more onerous bureaucratic red tape as a condition of retaining their earned unemployment benefits. As part of the much-discussed and hastily drafted SB 841, which dramatically overhauled the state’s unemployment insurance system in the waning days of the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers…
Mountain State Spotlight - Dear West Virginia elected officials, the voters of our state selected you to represent them in the Legislature, in Congress and in the governor’s office. Read the full article. The campaign is over. Now it’s time to govern. Over the last year, hundreds of West Virginians have told Mountain State Spotlight the…
Public News Service, MSN - Women's labor force participation rate in West Virginia has fallen over the past two decades but more are performing unpaid work, mostly as caregivers, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Read the full article. Working women continue to earn less than men, at just under $20 an…